May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal yourdebts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assaultyour lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires andmay happiness slap you across the face. And may your tears be that ofjoy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simplewords ............

May 2009 be the best year of your life!!! May it be so, not only for each of us individually, but for our country as well. May anger and hatred and bitterness get buried by a snowy avalanche of beauty, of joy, of love, generosity and kindness.

My thanks to all of you who have welcomed me into the blogging community with your good wishes, your comments, your encouragement, your understanding. You have helped me move past a very difficult period in my life and enabled me to find a new joy and excitement in each and every day. You've accepted the fact that I have a big mouth and don't hesitate to express the things that I feel. That in itself is no small gift! I thank you for being a part of my life and allowing me in some small way to be a part of yours, to offer me a chance to see and understand your world - both near and far. There is no greater gift than that. That is what makes it possible for us, to at least initiate change, one friend at a time, one place after another, one change at a time.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

After being such a wuss earlier this afternoon with my "tired of winter already" attitude, I ran across this, I had seen it before, but today it gave me a whole new look at the day. You've probably seen these before, I had, but it is beautiful!

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother.

The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment.

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops?

Monday, December 29, 2008

Happy Ruby Tuesday! Click on the picture to join us and share the fun!!

Now this is not what you usually think of as material for Ruby Tuesday, but as I looked across the street the other morning, the first thing I saw in all the snow was the red door of our neighbors mail box! Cheery looking, sure the postman will have no trouble seeing it -- if he can get up the street at all. We've had a couple of days with no mail delivery! What was that they use to say about the postman????Scroll down for photos of My World!

We had lots of snow last week. We had snow and sun, snow and fog, snow and gray skies. This much snow -- the kind that hangs around for days, is rare in Seattle. I've been told that this hasn't happened in thirty years! Click on the icon to join us every week to share your world with us!

This grove of trees is down by the harbor where I frequently take photos.

This is what that same grove of trees looked like six weeks ago! Not much time, a whole lot of difference!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes. Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break. Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.

BUT......... Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Let all the women who help make your life meaningful know. I just did. Short and very sweet: There are more than twenty angels in this world. Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine are playing. And one is reading this post at this moment.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart . Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women - she loved to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart:

Dear Mrs. Samsel,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Samsel are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2 . July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18 : Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 21 : When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!' And last, but not least ..

15. October 23 : Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

My oldest daughter, Robyn, sent pictures of the latest addition -- two kittens who are now six months old. And, of course, I had to share them! And, yes, those are snow flakes! They live in Michigan, so snow isn't the surprise it was here in Seattle.

Last week in the middle of all the snow and storms, we suddenly had a beautiful, sunny day. After taking some snow pictures I turned to go into the house and there was my shadow on a table on the deck!

I learned that term this morning from Paul Krugman's excellent OpEd column and is a century-old term for "good government" types, reformers opposed to corruption and patronage. And according to Krugman, Franklin Roosevelt was a goo-goo extraordinaire. He simultaneously made government much bigger and much cleaner. I think we all have hopes the Obama will do the same thing.

Krugman also points out that the Bush Administration offers a spectacular example of non-goo-gooism, because the Bushies didn't have to worry about governing well and honestly. Even when they failed on the job (as they did and continue to do so often), they could claim that very failure as vindication of their anti-government ideology, a demonstration that the public sector can't do anything right.

Obama and his administration, on the other hand, will find itself in a position very much like that facing the New Deal in the 1930s.

Like the New Deal, the incoming administration must greatly expand the role of government to rescue an ailing economy. But also like the New Deal, Obama team faces political opponents who will seize on any signs of corruption or abuse -- or invent them, if necessary, in an attempt to discredit the administration's program.

Roosevelt managed to navigate these treacherous political waters safely, greatly improving government's reputation even as he vastly expanded it. As a recently published study by the National Bureau of Economic Research puts it "Before 1932, the administration of public relief was widely regarded as politically corrupt," and the New Deal's huge relief programs "offered and opportunity for corruption unique in the nation's history." Yet "by 1940, charges of corruption and political manipulation had diminished considerably."

So, how did Roosevelt manage to make big government so clean?

A large part of it is that oversight was built into New Deal programs from the beginning. The WPA, in particular, had a powerful, independent "division of progress investigation" devoted to investigating complaints of fraud. This division was so diligent that in 1940, when a Congressional subcommittee investigated the WPA, it couldn't find a single serious irregularity that the division had missed.

But the Obama administration and Democrats in general, according to Mr. Krugman, need to do everything they can to build an FDR-like bond with the public. Obama has a high standing in polls based on public hopes that he'll succeed. He will need that even more when things aren't going well.

The Democrats need to pay attention, the push for Caroline Kennedy as senator is just more fuel for the 40 years of conservative propaganda denouncing "liberal elites". And you can be sure that those same critics will be making a really big thing out of Obama's rented Christmas vacation beach home in Hawaii. Isn't it a little strange for those same conservatives who have supported Bush and all the other big spenders and who are responsible for the mess we find ourselves in now are so quick to point these things out?

Fixing the economy is going to take time and, yes, these are the early days, but as Krugman points out, that's precisely the point. The Obama team needs to be thinking now, when hopes are high, about how to accumulate and preserve enough political capital to see the job through.

Friday, December 26, 2008

I had great computer guy in Portland who would come to my house to work on my computer whenever I needed work done. I emailed him to see if he knew anyone he could recommend here in Seattle. He didn't, but he did tell me about Angies list. So, I went online, found her list, joined, specified what I needed and promptly recieved two and a half pages of recommended, A rating computer people and how many miles they were from our house. I called the one at the top of the list whose place is just over three miles away. But that's just the beginning -- I called her, got her on the line, answered all her questions about what was needed and I asked her how much she charged. It all came down to this: she's coming to the house at 10 AM on New Years Day! I guess sometimes a crappy economy can work in our favor! Anyway, I liked the way she sounded and hopefully I'll get everything taken care of and someone I can call again if I have a need.

First of all the bad weather here forced my son and daughter to have to cancel their trip here for Christmas -- Adam and I will be eating a LOT of turkey over the next week! They're planning now on being here for Mother's Day so I'll start crossing my fingers right away!

Secondly, my computer seems to have acquired a virus and it is a real pain to try and do anything. So, today -- if they're open! I'll be taking it in to get fixed. Of course this means I may be without a computer for several days -- hopefully, no longer, but then my luck hasn't been the best lately!

I've prepared a Ruby Tuesday to post automatically and if I can get the computer's cooperation, I hope to do a My World post as well -- we'll see.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.Know the line has held, your job is done.Rest easy, sleep well.Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.Peace, peace, and farewell...

You may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Facts checked on Snopes.

We hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone in this wonderful blogging world a Joyous, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Everything and the Happiest of New Years!

Since I began blogging in July of this year I have come to realize not only how much it has changed my life, how much it has added to my life, but that it has probably saved my life. I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, it's just that I had reached a place in my life where I never thought that I would be, and yes, I know, we all get old and probably none of us ever thought we would find ourselves where we are today. But blogging has not only brought the world to me, it has brought me to the world! I find that not only do I receive beautiful and marvelous blessings from people all over the world, but I am able to offer some of the same. It has brought excitement, knowledge, beauty and a better understanding of the world and its people.

So, to all of you out there in cyberspace, enjoy your holiday, make the most of every day -- be it a holiday or not. Lets celebrate the wonder of the world, of love, of friends, of ourselves.

We have had unusally heavy snowfall over the past few days here in Seattle. My son, Adam, and I set out this morning to get some pictures I could share here on My World. We went down to park in the harbor area where I took photos last fall. It surely did not look the same this morning as it did then. The snow weighed heavily on the branches as you can see.

This grove of trees was so beautiful and green just a few weeks ago -- I almost didn't recognize them.

This bare tree with the deserted nest I had also photographed earlier -- it didn't look the same either.

The seagulls have been very confused and upset with all the snow -- where's the food! they seem to be asking. We got another picture earlier this week when the snow first started to fall. The one we got a photo of that day looked totally out of sorts, with feathers fluffed out and definitely interested in finding food. A fellow blogger from Australia saw the photo and wrote new lyrics to "Winter Wonderland" to go with the picture which she put on her blog. They were really funny!

There is a very large Nordic population in the Seattle area and this statue is of Leif Erikkson, who supposedly landed on the North American continent 500 years before Christopher Columbus. The statue is located near the harbor and overlooking the water. There are stone slabs surrounding the statue that contain the names of all Nordic people who came to Washington -- Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finland, Denmark -- their names and the year they arrived. There is still a strong Nordic community here, Swedish Hospital, names of streets and communities. It was interesting to see this statue in the snow, looking out to sea.

This last photo is of Adam and the three doggies sharing a "snow/ice stick". They have all been totally puzzled by their new white world. Sam with his short legs, had to literally leap from spot to spot.

What Can I Say?

I'm interested in almost everything. Use to like to travel, but it's too expensive now. I take Tai Chi classes, swim, volunteer in a Jump-start program for pre-schoolers. I'm an avid reader and like nearly everyone these days I follow politics avidly. I'm a former teacher and Special Projects Coordinator for a Telecommunications company, Assistant to the President of a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturing company. Am now enjoying retirement -- most of the time. I have two daughters, one son-in-law and two sons scattered all over the country. No grandchildren.

Stop Hate Starting Here

I Never Saw Another Butterfly

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellowPerhaps if the sun’s tears would singagainst a white stone....

Such, such a yellowIs carried lightly ’way up high.It went away I’m sure because it wished to kiss the world good-bye.

For seven weeks I’ve lived in herePenned up inside this ghetto.But I have found what I love here.The dandelions call to meAnd the white chestnut branches in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly. That butterfly was the last one.Butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.

Written by Pavel Friedman, June 4, 1942 Born in Prague on Jan. 7, 1921.Deported to the Terezin Concentration Camp on April 26, 1942. Died in Aushchwitzon Sept. 29, 1944.

Thank You, Anthony!!

Check out his blog and photos!

Chasing Ashes

I love to write and it has been a hobby for a long time. Mysteries were always my escape reading during some of the darker times of my life and I finally decided to give it a try. I've actually written seven over the years. Unfortunately, my last computer disaster resulted in my losing three of the latest four. I did manage to salvage this one.